Metro Police substation coming to downtown Las Vegas

News 3 LV

by Kay Dimanche

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Plans to open the first METRO Police substation on Fremont Street are in motion.

This space will house Deputy City Marshals, LVMPD Officers, and Fremont Street Experience security- they'll work as a team to combat crime.

“This is a game changer for us It will be a much more unified approach. We’ll have much more visibility and then be able to come back here and write our reports,” Jason Potts, Las Vegas Department of Public Safety.

This comes after several shootings in the area last summer.

One example, back on June 19, police say a 16-year-old fatally shot an adult man following a fight. The gunfire also injured an innocent bystander.

In another incident, city officials responded by tightening security, using metal detectors, and implementing a curfew for those under 21 years old.

“We are doing everything we can to make ensure our locals and tourist and we have to ensure it is a fair and safe environment so they can experience all the amenities that we have here in Downtown Las Vegas,” Las Vegas City Councilman, Cedric Crear.

While previewing the substation for business owners Thursday, we spoke with the owner of one of the longest Fremont Street tenants who welcomed the increased enforcement.

“Our businesses are located right across the street, so I like it. It's gonna make our guests feel safer,” said Chris Hazelton, the owner of 322 Pizza Bar, Souvenir Super Mart, Western Bar.

He says crime in the last six months forced him to lose revenue due to closing early.

“When we’ve had incidents, we’ve had to close our doors and make sure our guests are safe, escort them out the back, and just jump through hoops to make sure they were safe first,” explained Hazelton.